Lion's Mane
Lion's mane is Hericium erinaceus, an edible fungus that grows on hardwood and is now mostly cultivated on sawdust substrates. Ingredients come from two different materials: the fruiting body (the mushroom itself), which is dried and milled or extracted with hot water (sometimes also ethanol) and spray-dried; and the mycelium, which is grown either on grain, where the dried product includes the grain, or in liquid fermentation. Because the two materials differ in composition, buyers specify the part, substrate and extraction on every purchase.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dried, milled whole mushroom with nothing extracted; sold by mesh size.
Hot-water (or dual water and ethanol) extract of the fruiting body, spray-dried to powder and usually specified by beta-glucan content.
Mycelium grown on a grain substrate, then dried and milled together with the substrate; some suppliers sell this as whole-life-cycle or full-spectrum material.
Mycelium grown in liquid fermentation and separated from the medium, sometimes standardized to erinacine A by HPLC.
Certified organic fruiting body or mycelium material, with the certificate tied to the lot.
Liquid extract in glycerin for tinctures and drinks, usually full-spectrum.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Mushroom extract powders are hygroscopic and cake quickly in humid air, so keep them in sealed, lined containers with minimal headspace in a cool, dry place. Whole fruiting body powder is less sensitive but should still be kept dry and away from pests. Suppliers give a shelf life or retest date; beta-glucan and moisture are the usual retest checks.
Record the material type (fruiting body or mycelium), substrate, extraction method and country of cultivation with every lot, because these change what the label can say about the ingredient. Check beta-glucan and starch, or erinacine A for mycelium, on each COA rather than relying on a supplier's typical values. Use stock first-expiry-first-out.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00396) lists the fruiting body of Hericium erinaceus, and aqueous extract powders of it, as not novel in food.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)The same EU entry records that dehydrated lion's mane mycelium powder is a novel food not yet authorized, after a consultation concluded that an EU history of consuming the mycelium was not established.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Kerrville, TX
Sells it as MycoThrive
Applied Food Sciences is a Texas bulk ingredient company that sells branded botanical extracts, including green coffee, green tea, ginseng, ginger, turmeric, acerola and lion's mane, to food, drink and supplement makers only.
Distributor · Fort Wayne, IN
US ingredient supplier that sells elderberry juice concentrate, juice powder and extracts, including Iprona's ElderCraft, and lion's mane powder grown by its partner Myzel.
Manufacturer · Hauppauge, NY
US botanical extract manufacturer in New York whose catalog includes ashwagandha, elderberry, maca, lion’s mane and green tea extracts, with alcohol-free glycerin-based versions and standardized grades quoted to customer spec.
Manufacturer · San Jose, CA
Draco Natural Products is a San Jose, California, maker of powdered botanical and mushroom extracts, including certified organic and traditional Chinese herb extracts, with an office in Shanghai.
Manufacturer · Changsha, China
Hunan Nutramax is a plant extract producer in Changsha, China, best known for monk fruit (luo han guo), stevia and sweet tea extracts, that also offers a range of herbal extracts.
Manufacturer · Vista, CA
Sells it as M2 LionXtract
M2 Ingredients grows functional mushrooms in its own facility in Southern California and sells whole-mushroom powders and extracts made from both mycelium and fruiting body. Its lion's mane line includes powder and the M2 LionXtract extract.
Distributor · Eugene, OR
Mountain Rose Herbs is an Oregon seller of organic and wild-harvested bulk herbs, spices, mushrooms and seaweeds, with a wholesale program for businesses alongside its retail shop.
Manufacturer · Gibsons, Canada
Sells it as RealLionsMane
Nammex (North American Medicinal Mushroom Extracts) supplies organic hot-water extracts of lion's mane fruiting bodies grown by certified organic partners in China. It also sells ErinaPrime, a separate lion's mane mycelium grown in liquid culture and standardized to erinacine A, which its site says is not certified organic.
Manufacturer · Rouen, France
Nexira is a French family-owned maker of acacia gum, other natural gums and plant extract powders, including acerola, baobab, guarana, ginseng and mushroom extracts, for food, drink and supplement companies.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include fruiting body powder, fruiting body hot-water extract, mycelium on grain, liquid-culture mycelium, organic and glycerin or alcohol-free liquid extract. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity, beta-glucan and alpha-glucan, marker compounds, heavy metals, microbiology, pesticides and residual solvents and physical tests, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Mushroom extract powders are hygroscopic and cake quickly in humid air, so keep them in sealed, lined containers with minimal headspace in a cool, dry place. Whole fruiting body powder is less sensitive but should still be kept dry and away from pests. Suppliers give a shelf life or retest date; beta-glucan and moisture are the usual retest checks.
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00396) lists the fruiting body of Hericium erinaceus, and aqueous extract powders of it, as not novel in food. The same EU entry records that dehydrated lion's mane mycelium powder is a novel food not yet authorized, after a consultation concluded that an EU history of consuming the mycelium was not established.
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